The Blue Jays are currently one game behind the Cleveland Guardians for the third and final wild card spot, but they are also battling with the Texas Rangers and Baltimore Orioles.
After a 6-1 loss against the Kansas City Royals on Sunday afternoon, the Toronto Blue Jays are now one game back of the third and final wild card spot with 18 games to play. The Jays have the tiebreaker over Cleveland, so they still have chances to make up ground in the race and make the playoffs for the second consecutive year.
However, they are battling with more than just Cleveland, as they are one game ahead of the Texas Rangers, who are 2.0 back of Cleveland. The Jays are also three head of the Baltimore Orioles, who are four back of Cleveland.
Here's what you need to know about each team's chances and remaining schedule.
Cleveland Guardians (73-71)
Playoff odds (per Fangraphs): 56. 5 percent
Remaining schedule strength (per Tankathon): .478
Sept. 7-9 @ Orioles
Sept. 11-13 @ Twins
Sept. 14-16 vs. White Sox
Sept. 18-20 vs. Athletics
Sept. 22-24 @ Red Sox
Sept. 25-27 @ Royals
Toronto Blue Jays (72-72)
Playoff odds: 38.1 percent
Remaining schedule strength: .464
Sept. 7-9 @ Athletics
Sept. 11-13 vs. Orioles
Sept. 14-16 vs. Tigers
Sept. 18-20 @ Rangers
Sept. 21-23 @ Orioles
Sept. 25-27 vs. Reds
Kansas City Royals catcher Carter Jensen (22) and Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) point to the first base umpire to verify a check swing during the fifth inning at Kauffman Stadium. Denny Medley-Imagn ImagesTexas Rangers (71-73)
Playoff odds: 25.4 percent
Remaining schedule strength: .495
Sept. 8-10 @ Mariners
Sept. 11-13 @ D-backs
Sept. 15-17 vs. Red Sox
Sept. 18-20 vs. Blue Jays
Sept. 22-24 vs. Mets
Sept. 25-27 @Twins
Baltimore Orioles (69-75)
Playoff odds: 3 percent
Remaining schedule strength: .523
Sept. 7-9 vs. Guardians
Sept. 11-13 @ Blue Jays
Sept. 14-16 @ Mets
Sept. 18-20 vs. Brewers
Sept. 21-13 vs. Blue Jays
Sept. 25-27 @ Yankees
About the Blue Jays and Athletics series upcoming
As noted by Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet, the Blue Jays will send Dylan Cease to the mound on Tuesday and Jose Soriano to the mound on Wednesday. The pitcher on Thursday is listed as TBD. The A's have not announced any starters yet, as they did some recent roster shuffling.
As for the A's, they just took three-of-four from the reeling Seattle Mariners in Seattle. They come in without a lot of household names and a porous bullpen, but they are pesky offensively. They scored more than six runs in three of the four games against Seattle, but were held to just one hit on Sunday in a 2-0 loss.
Nick Kurtz, Tyler Soderstrom, Shea Langaliers, Brent Rooker and Jacob Wilson are all on the injured list and none will play in this series. Starting pitcher Luis Severino is also not on the roster.
